Masquerade

Facing constant threats of assassination and palace plots, King Gwang-hae seeks a look-alike to take his place on the throne. When the monarch is poisoned, a commoner named Ha-sun, who bears a striking resemblance to the king, is recruited to secretly impersonate the ruler. This deception aims to prevent the country from falling into chaos while the real king recovers. As the commoner navigates the dangers of the court, his approach to leadership begins to influence the morality of the palace.

Directed by Choo Chang-min, this was the first of two films he directed, followed by Land of Happiness in 2024. The movie features Lee Byung-hun in a dual role as both the king and the clown, appearing alongside Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Kim In-kwon, Jang Gwang, and Shim Eun-kyung. Produced by CJ Entertainment and Realies Pictures, the South Korean historical drama has a runtime of 131 minutes.

The film is generally well-regarded by audiences, holding a rating of 7.7/10 on TMDB based on 178 votes. In comparison, film critics gave it a lower score of 6.6/10 across 9 reviews.